Only One Year Left—I'll Become a Legendary Uma Musume!

Symboli Rudolf, the undisputed Emperor among Japanese Uma Musume and one of the most popular characters of the original series.

Though, apart from a few terrible puns, Twilight Song couldn't recall much about her at the moment. So now, as they faced each other directly—

This pressure is overwhelming.

Twilight Song stubbornly lifted her chin, staring up at Rudolf. After a silent standoff of who-knows-how-long, the taller Uma Musume finally nodded slightly, breaking the tense stalemate.

"Impressive. Around this time yesterday, you were still in New York, weren't you?"

"You know about me?"

It seemed Rudolf had long known about Twilight Song—which felt strange, given her relatively low profile in Japan. Well, at least until the Gotham Stakes win.

"I've known since you first arrived at the Mejiro household."

"Huh?"

Wait, that can't be right?

"You've forgotten—I'm a Symboli."

Symboli… ah, the Symboli family.

Right, both Symboli and Mejiro were prestigious families. But it felt like there was more to it.

Oh, she remembered now. Both the Mejiro and Symboli families were prestigious houses, closely intertwined in various ways.

Twilight Song nodded, falling silent once again.

Clearly, Rudolf had sought her out for a reason. Better to just stay quiet and listen.

"First, congratulations on winning the Satsuki Sho. I look forward to your performance in the Japanese Derby. Now, onto official business. Where are you headed next? Mejiro Ramonu instructed me to bring you back to Mejiro Estate."

"Huh? Why Mejiro Estate?"

Twilight Song tilted her head. She'd left a note clearly stating she was returning solely to participate in this race and would immediately head back to New York afterward to prepare for the Kentucky Derby.

She hadn't been joking.

Rudolf raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting as she seemed to realize something. Lowering herself slightly, she met Twilight Song's gaze directly.

"You mean…you're going back to New York?"

And what else would I do there? Of course, race in the American Triple Crown.

Judging by Twilight Song's performance, she had no intention of abandoning her pursuit of the Japanese Triple Crown, either.

Young fillies these days really are reckless…

Rudolf momentarily felt dazed. She truly hadn't expected this small filly in front of her to have such audacity.

"Yes, I'm going back to New York."

"What about the Japanese Triple Crown?"

Twilight Song's ears flicked. She suddenly realized Rudolf was here as Mejiro Ramonu's appointed observer—but now…

Was she also genuinely testing her resolve?

Ah, that made sense. Rudolf, as both the Emperor of Japan's Uma Musume and representative of Central Tracen Academy, probably wanted more than anyone else to see Japanese Uma Musume succeed internationally, right?

Then maybe there was still a chance to negotiate…

"I'll win both sets of races. Every single one."

Rudolf clicked her tongue softly, quickly recalling the dates of the Japanese Derby and the second race of the American Triple Crown this year…

The Derby was on a Saturday; the Preakness Stakes on a Sunday—both in the same week.

That meant Twilight Song would need to fly immediately from the U.S. to Japan right after finishing the American race.

Could anyone actually manage such an exhausting journey and still perform at their peak?

Previously, Rudolf wouldn't have believed it possible. But after witnessing Twilight Song's performance at the Satsuki Sho…

In terms of raw power and stamina, Twilight Song was unquestionably strong enough. Not only that, but Rudolf, as a Legendary Uma Musume herself, had clearly seen the bright white aura of a budding [Zone] around Twilight Song's hooves during the race's final sprint.

That was undoubtedly the sign of a [Zone].

Hmm, should I let her go or not?

The Emperor's reason and her instincts as an Uma Musume warred fiercely within Rudolf's mind.

Twilight Song was the best chance Japan had in recent years to make a name internationally. But competing on both continents at once seemed overly ambitious, didn't it?

"Are you truly confident in this?"

Eventually, Rudolf chose caution. At worst, if Twilight Song's condition seemed questionable before the Derby, Rudolf could personally bar her from competing.

She didn't want to gamble needlessly, but opportunities for Japanese Uma Musume to achieve international fame were painfully rare.

So rare that the entire Japanese racing community had been waiting desperately for a moment like this.

"I can absolutely do it. You don't have to worry."

Twilight Song's unwavering confidence finally convinced Rudolf. With a nod, Rudolf stepped aside.

"Very well. If you manage to win the American Triple Crown, I'll personally crown you as a legend myself."

And afterward, perhaps you'll consider competing in that French race...?

Rudolf kept that thought to herself, saying nothing more.

Her behavior piqued Twilight Song's curiosity slightly.

She blinked, staring up at the Emperor before her.

"You won't regret this? Letting me go just like that."

Rudolf raised an eyebrow, turning around and waving casually as she prepared to leave with a reluctant McQueen trailing behind her.

"I never regret my decisions, no matter what happens. Stop overthinking it. Go win the American Triple Crown—after all, isn't that something you absolutely have to do?"

However, after taking a few steps, Rudolf paused and glanced back at the filly behind her once more.

"You should probably call Mejiro Ramonu first and clearly explain your intentions. Think carefully about how you're going to convince that stubborn one."

Mejiro Ramonu—so unusually invested in this filly who had come from a branch family, who hadn't even officially taken the Mejiro name yet. Rudolf found herself genuinely curious why Ramonu cared so deeply.

"She really does worry about you. Did something happen between you two?"

With those words, Rudolf left the venue, leaving Twilight Song standing alone, deep in thought.

As expected, she'd caused concern after being discovered. Damn it, that's probably one of the worst possible outcomes.

Twilight Song silently pulled out her state-of-the-art flip phone from this era, powering it on and sending a quick text message before climbing into a taxi.

During the long ride to the airport, the filly gazed blankly out at the bustling city, unable to find words.

Her phone rang repeatedly—calls from New York—but she ignored them for now.

Instead, she kept replaying Rudolf's final words in her mind.

Or rather, she was asking herself the same question:

Why?

She hadn't brought glory to the Mejiro family, nor had she emotionally invested in them much. At the start, she'd even openly avoided any meaningful interaction.

So why?

Why were they all so concerned? Why did they care this deeply?

Why, even after she acted so selfishly, were they still reaching out to check on her?

If only I had more time to live. Then she could fully experience that kind of happy, carefree life—a life filled with warmth and affection like a normal filly.

With a heavy sigh, Twilight Song finally picked up the phone and returned the call.

"Please, just trust me. When I get back, I promise I'll apologize properly."

"Just wait until I'm back in New York, okay?"